To assess the implementation of Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis in patients admitted to the surgical critical care unit: A cross-sectional study

Samenvatting

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a medical disorder characterised by the development of blood clots in the deep veins, particularly in the lower leg veins. This leads to the restriction of blood flow, which in turn produces symptoms such as pain, swelling, and discoloration. Aims and objectives: To assess the implementation of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) prophylaxis in patients admitted to the surgical critical care unit.
Material and methods: A grand total of 70 patients were enlisted. A total of 15 patients were treated with mechanical prophylaxis alone, 23 patients were treated with pharmacotherapy only, and 32 patients received combined mechanical and pharmaceutical treatment. This research included patients hospitalised in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) who were between the ages of 18 and 68 and stayed in the unit for at least 2 days. Only patients who were stable in terms of their blood circulation and had all routine medical tests within normal ranges were included. The incidence of haemorrhage was similar across the groups, with a p-value of 0.15, which indicates that the difference was not statistically significant.
Results: The number of male participants was 48, accounting for 68.57% of the total, while the number of female participants was 22, accounting for 31.43%. The average age of the patients was 51.85 ± 4.55 years. The mechanical prophylaxis had the greatest occurrence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT); however, the difference was not statistically significant. The average dosages of enoxaparin administered in the pharmacotherapy-only group and the combined mechanical therapy and pharmacotherapy group were 64.52±5.69 mg/day and 43.22±4.33 mg/day, respectively. The average dosages of enoxaparin were 43.11±4.85 mg/day for those using stockings and 43.34±3.98 mg/day for those using SCDs. In the group receiving both mechanical and pharmacological prevention, 16 patients (50%) used SCDs and 16 (50%) used DVT stockings. In the group receiving just mechanical treatment, 11 patients (73.33%) used DVT stockings, and 5 patients (26.67%) used SCDs.
Conclusion: It has been shown that a combination of mechanical and pharmacological interventions is linked to a decreased occurrence of DVT. The total dosage of medications administered as pharmacotherapy was lower in individuals who received dual treatments compared to those who received pharmacotherapy alone.